Live: Bitch Magnet with Moss Icon at Le Poisson Rouge 10.25.12 early

In a year that has been a rollercoaster of ups and downs, the prospect of Bitch Magnet and Moss Icon playing together in 2012, in Manhattan and for under $20 (I think) was one of the higher points. Of course, I got these tickets back in June, so the wait was a little much, but beyond that it continued to be a pleasure to not have to ride over the bridge to see a show.

While it will never depose my beloved Mercury Lounge, Le Poisson Rouge is making a strong run for my #2 favorite place to see a show in town. The Watt book release and Codeine shows have been been definite highlights of 2012 and this show is definitely stands to flex a big presence on that list as well and I was pleased to see LPR getting a piece of this action.

The recent Temporary Residence discography reminded me that I really, really like me some Moss Icon. Seeing them at 8pm on a Thursday pushed the proposition of seeing them towards the sublime. For a band that has lay fallow for a bit and only played sporadic reunion shows this year, Moss Icon sure did level the room, blazing through a handful of the high points of their canon, plus a new tune called George. Brooklyn Vegan reported their playing I'm Back Sleeping, Or Fucking, Or Something, an event that went troublingly unremembered, and one that appears to be an incorrect one judging by the comments section, but rest assured the set was pretty great even with that unfortunate absence. Vance was in rough, but good voice and Tonie Joy continues to be quite the sonic alchemist on the old six string. A definite strong showing from the men from Maryland.

I stood in front of a small gentlemen of Eastern descent and his friend for most of the MI set, in between shifts to avoid a young Williamsburg-ian evidently enjoying his first drink and making a general nuisance of himself. Having met Sooyoung before a million years ago, I figured it couldn't be him, but once again the JS-NYC powers of perception we exposed as weak as he took the stage as the last of MI echoed through the room. No one has gotten any younger in the Bitch Magnet ranks, but the rust definitely was knocked off for their too-short of a set. Park did little to dispel his 'he of the eternal whisper' appellation, but proved to be a mouth that roared when necessary, with Fine and Morfin throwing their shoulder into it and plowing through to a closing one-two punch of Joan Of Arc and Americruiser. Very Nice. Logistics (mostly Park living in Singapore) pretty much made this the last chance to see Bitch Magnet, but here's hoping it leads to competitive offers for a Seam reunion next year.

R

Live: Codeine at Le Poisson Rouge 7.15.12

Back in the day, when I was but a merely cynical showgoer in upstate NY, I really liked me some Codeine. I had recently fallen head over heels for Seam and American Music Club (R.I.P. Tim Mooney) and Eitzel had mentioned that The White Birch was his current favorite record. I checked it out and it did yeoman duty soundtracking my early days in NYC. The trio split before I could see them around town and I relegated the trio to the increasingly large cadre of bands I had missed where bootleg video would have to suffice.

The early part of this year brought news from Henry Owings that he would be designing a new Codeine box set called When I See The Sun for The Numero Group. Even better, word was that Codeine were going to play some shows behind it. This LPR show is/was ostensibly their last show ever and bizarrely enough did not appear to be to a full room, but there was  a Brooklyn show that started these dates, so maybe that accounted for it. Regardless, Codeine made the most of their twelve songs set (see below) before returning for a Joy Division cover (Atmosphere) and a closing Broken-Hearted Wine.

Codeine are an earnest bunch, especially Stephen, something that made fine records, but perhaps can be somewhat less than great in a small van on tour pre-Internet. Regardless of time passed and the Codeine members present more positive life and mindstates, the gents do not seem to be overstaying their welcome. The box set is selling well, if not out, and I would expect that we'll see some video coming down the pike, but at present it seems that Codeine, as grateful as they seem for the shine almost two decades later, is staying an ex-band. Another classy turn from a classy band, but it is sad to see them go again.

Get When I See The Sun or each of the three Codeine releases in individual expanded form here from your new best friends at The Numero Group.

R

Live: Tragedy @ Le Poisson Rouge 5.12.12

I had been on the fence about making it out to this show, but the decent time I had at the Watt show and the fact that it was an early show on the island swayed me last minute. The Ian Dickson/Hardcore Gig Volume factor didn't hurt either. I posted up to find that a band had dropped off the bill and that Tragedy were to be up in short order, an eventuality that prompted much rejoicing in the JS-NYC ranks. That combined with the fact that the general population was less hygenically challenged than your average Tragedy show bade well for a pretty aces early evening.

There's a new Tragedy record called Darker Days Ahead that is pretty decent, albeit a tad more doom and sludge driven than previous fare. Most of the new tracks seem to have made it into the set, although Todd's need to deliver stage patter in his Dethklok voice made it a little hard to tell. The crowd seemed more sedate, perhaps owing to the swank LPR environs, but Tragedy put on a good show (and no doubt played three more that night on their way out of town). Tragedy are too punk to have a web presence, but keep an ear out and see the gents if they come your way.

R

Live: Hellride East with Appomattox @ Mike Watt: On and Off Bass book release party @ Le Poisson Rouge 5.2.12

Watt had mentioned that there was going to be a collection of his tour diaries that had some of his photos incorporated coming out. Turns out that is the case. The book is called Off And On Bass and as such, a book release party/show dubbed Mayday 2 was organized by publisher Three Rooms Press at Le Poisson Rouge featuring a live Watt interview by Forced Exposure dude Byron Coley as well as a Hellride set featuring Watt and J. Mascis and Murph backing a rotating roster of microphone wielders.

After sorting out some lifestyle driven ticket issues, I posted up at LPR what I thought was early to find I had missed Dead Trend. I did catch all of the Appomattox set and was pretty impressed. A Brooklyn three-piece featuring one hell of a drummer, the trio made quite a racket, combining The Minutemen, Wire, Pop Group and a gang of other post-punk influences to generally positive results.

Byron Coley came up and interviewed Watt about On and Off Bass for fifteen minutes (look for YouTube of it) before Watt and Co. got things underway for a royal rumble of Stooges covers. A gang of people took the mike for the proceeding, a lot that included the expected (Don Fleming, Thurston, John Petrovich) combined with some new school eyebrow raisers (Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten). It certainly made for a pretty hip room for a bit.

This was a great night for a great man that ended early. This I like, although it was nice to be the young guy at a show for once. Watt is evidently going to make another run through the Northeast this Fall behind the most recent opera, but in the interim pick up Mike Watt: On and Off Bass here from Three Rooms Press. Look for a review soonest and keep track of Watt in the interim at the hootpage here.

R